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Friday, July 15, 2011

Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain is crucial in an Islamic Inquisition

Dear friends

I wanted to thank you for your support of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain. As you know we were in desperate need of financial help and are grateful for the donations of many generous individuals and groups.

What we do – breaking the taboo that comes with renouncing Islam and challenging a movement that sentences apostates to death – is considered ‘controversial’ to say the least and makes it almost impossible to get support from mainstream funders. Also, we haven’t been able to secure charity status.

In its refusal letter the Charity Commission says: “Under English law the advancement of religion is a recognised charitable purpose and charities are afforded certain fiscal privileges by the state. The prohibition of any such financial privilege as called for in the demand made in [your] Manifesto would require a change in law. Similarly a separation of religion from the state and legal and education system would appear to require both constitutional reform and change to the law.”

There is something fundamentally wrong when the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain can’t get charity status but the Sharia Council legislating misogyny in its sharia courts can. And how absurd that defending secularism is not a charitable object but advancing religion is, particularly in this day and age when we are living under an Islamic Inquisition.

Much of the struggle for change throughout history has included demands for changes in the law and in religion’s role in the public space. And this is something the Council of Ex-Muslims will continue to do with your support.

Again, thank you. Please do continue to support us in any way you can; every little bit helps go a long way in the fight that lies ahead.

Seymour, when people are executed for leaving Jehovah's Witness than maybe that would need to be the case. Your religion or atheism is your private affair but when you are killed for leaving Islam - apostasy is punishable by death under Sharia law in many places - then it's important to challenge Islamism and set up a movement that breaks the taboo and demands the right to leave.

Sorry, didn't realise Seymour was joking! The comment though is something we often hear as a criticism so I thought it best to explain why we need a Council of Ex-Muslims to clarify the difference with regards Islam...

Religion does not need to threat you to death to cause psychological damages...In many cases the threat of eternal damnation or social exclusion are just enough. Religion is imposed to children before they are apt to reject it. I think ex-Jehovah's Witness charity, ex-catholic, ex-baptist, or any other would be justified.